Exactly a week ago,I wrote a blog here about Your Website. What has it done for you lately? Part I. And as I promised,here is the second part to this series.
Here are the DO's and DONT's of a Website.
Website Do's
- Your website should be updated real time- As soon as current information is available,you want people viewing your website to know about it.
- You want a agent and customer friendly site.
- Include a property search ( IDX or RETS )
- Consider your selection of domain name.
- Lead generation features.
- Site needs to be rich content for search optimization.
- Include good relevant local links.
- Refresh content often- Make it content rich.
- Advertise your website.
- Stick with .com- Its more popular than .net.
Website Don'ts
- No property search feature.
- TMI- Too much information about you.
- TMJ- Too much junk.
- Stale information- Information that is not updated.
- Mandatory/forced registration.
- Ignore your leads.
- Mistreat return vistors.
- Keep your Web site a secret.
The instructor also told us that we should put our website on our voicemail- I keep forgetting to do that. All information should be on one page and you never want a horizontal bar on your website.
Also put a RSS Feed on your blogs and websites. Carnival of Real Estate is a great way to promote your blogs Real Estate Market Reports Blog Carnival. My instructor also mentioned www.bloggingsystem.com as a good blogging site. Putting yourself into a virtual tour is a great way for people to know you. You should also never use music on your website. Why?You can get them in trouble when the music comes on. A lot of home buyers (who are very busy with less time on their hand) start their search online at work.
Marketing your site
When you are marketing your site,you want to
- Build your brand
Find your niche- Ex: Baby boomers,Military families,new home buyers,first time home buyers etc. You are trying to attract a large percentage of a small population. It doesn't mean that you forsake and alienate everybody else who might end up being your potential client.
Contact local marketing companies that specialize in real estate branding.
- Service your community.
Reach out to multicultural customers.
- Buy advertising through search engines.
Google AdWords: Keyword Tool-Auction on keywords. The more popular the word that's the one you want to buy-GREAT TOOL IF YOU WANT TO ATTRACT MORE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOGS AND WEBSITES.
- Incorporate your web site into traditional advertising. Our instructor recommended a book called "Long tail" by Chris Anderson. He said that it is a great marketing tool book.
If you can translate your website into another language,it is a great way to gain more leads and business.
Extra tips
- You should always do a search on other real estate agents so you can know what you need to do to give yourself an edge over your competition.
- Research from a customer perspective.
- KISS- Keep it simple sweetie.
- Watch new technology
Magazines
- Revenue Today.
- Search Marketing Standard - This magazine is about search engine marketing.
- Fast company.
- NAR or VAR Realtor magazine.
Books
- Real Estate Rainmaker: Guide to Online Marketing.
- Realty Blogging: Build Your Brand and Outsmart Your Competition.
- Blogging for Dummies.
Website
www.realestatetomato.com - Who is also a member here on Active Rain.
If you have any other tips,please don't hesitate to share it here. Everybody here on Active Rain love sharing tips. That's why Active Rain is the best online real estate social networking site.
Looking for a Washington DC Real Estate Professional that will help you buy or sell your next house or want a "Free Real Estate Market Report" in your area of choice? Check out my website Houses for sale in Washington,DC. I can also be reached at Lanre Folayan "Buy Washington DC Real Estate" (EXIT PREMIER REALTY ... or Twitter 
http://twitter.com/DCHomesforsale. Please give me a call at 202-378-0283 (Direct) or 301-560-6700 x1154 (Office) at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much. Looking forward to helping you make your home purchase or sale a stress free and very happy one. Have a great day. "Buy a home in Washington DC"
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